Two Rivers backs playoff football team

Steve Clark takes a look at this weekend's matchup between Two Rivers and River Valley in the WIAA Division 4 football playoffs semifinal round. (Nov. 9, 2016)
Joe Sienkiewicz/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

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A look at the shirt press for the Two Rivers Raider logo at Erickson Sports and Apparel in Two Rivers.(Photo: Tom Dombeck/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

“I see people come in looking for a Raider shirt,” Erickson said. “It’s definitely people going upstairs and buying sweatshirts. It’s definitely a blessing.”

Erickson noticed a change come playoff time.

“At one point in the playoffs, they came in looking for gold shirts, kind of had a gold out, then last Friday they had 200 spirit towels,” Erickson said. “It’s great for the community. I’m happier for the kids, the students and the school. It’s nice to get the business, but for them, it’s great.”

Erickson, the longtime cross country coach at Two Rivers before retiring in 2014, says this type of playoff run has been building.

“For football, it’s been a long time,” Erickson said. “It’s been a while since they’ve had this kind of success, and that breeds more success. The younger kids get hungrier and has a blossoming effect.”

Theresa Kronforst, co-manager at Schroeder’s department store, had a similar reaction.

“It’s taken us a long time to get to this point,” Kronforst, a 1999 graduate of Two Rivers, said. “I haven’t paid attention to the high school game in a long time because back then, we weren’t that good.”

It’s impossible to state how much this would mean to the community, says Erickson.

“Those things are huge for the community,” Erickson said. “Anytime an individual, a team, whatever it is gets to state, it’s great for the community. That’s Two Rivers. They’re representing Two Rivers. Two Rivers is a small community. They follow real well. If they win, I think they’d travel.”

Kronforst said: “I think it makes a big difference when you have the fan buses (for Friday’s game). The school has offered fan buses for the students, which is a fantastic thing because it brings everyone together.”

Erickson says the success of the football team is different compared to that of the wrestling program.

“Wrestling has been over a couple years, so people have accepted that,” Erickson said. “Don’t get me wrong, that’s great, but when you get to a football team that hasn’t had or felt that success, a community hasn’t felt that. And face it, football and basketball are the major sports. When they succeed, the success seems to be bigger — and it’s good.”

When the football team does well, people notice.

“I think you saw the turnout (last Friday),” Erickson said. “That’s massive. Everyone knows the kids. You kind of become part of them, part of the team, part of the process. It means a lot more.”

“It’s been fantastic,” Kronforst said. “There’s been a lot of people who come into the coffeehouse. There’s one in particular who goes to every game he can so he’s all caught up in the whole hubbub of the whole thing.”

Erickson had a simple response as to why this team has put it together.

“They’re really good,” Erickson said. “They’re really good and they’re putting it together. You get some breaks, and you make some breaks. That’s part of the athletic world. The teams that usually finish are hot at this time of year. Everything is clicking.”

Tom Dombeck can be reached at 920-686-2965, tdombeck@htrnews.com or follow on Twitter at @Tom_Dombeck